Overall: 6/10

Story:

Arctic Eggs is a rather short indie experience that is definitely more about the gameplay than the story, but the narrative's quirky premise is a solid setup. The idea of "cooking your way out" after a failed escape attempt is oddly compelling, and somehow, it's the least bizarre thing in this captivatingly weird game. While the story takes a backseat, it does enough to support the chaotic gameplay mechanics that makes the game "shine." Additionally, I enjoyed talking to the NPC's and learning about their eccentric thoughts/opinions within this future inhabited Antarctica and how sometimes their brief dialogue was not only genuinely humorous, but also interesting.

Gameplay:

The gameplay is the main focus here, and that gameplay consists of walking around talking to NPC's and cooking for a designated number of hungry people in order to progress; however, it's not just eggs you're cooking. No, as you'll actually cook eggs, cigarettes, canned sardines, cockroaches, etc. and even a mix of the various "foods" at times. Eccentricities aside, and while this sounds simple enough from a gameplay perspective, the frying pan you're cooking with actually acts as a physics-based instrument in which you control with your mouse. This is where you'll quickly realize things become either captivating, intensely frustrating, or a mix of both. As you could probably guess, this is why I wrote shine in quotation marks previously; I personally felt the latter and by the end of the game, realized that I honestly did not enjoy the gameplay. The variety of gameplay is cool, and I like how some of the ingredients like beer, the glass of ice, and bullets weren't all just cook one side, flip, and cook the other side, but I really just didn't find this gameplay loop rewarding overall.
You can certainly get a hang of the physics to an extent, but there are times where it's just hard to predict or basically bugs out and ingredients get stuck on top of each other, eggs get stuck horizontal, something else goes flying out of the pan, or etc. This is amplified by the fact that having ANY ingredients in the pan fall out causes you to have to start the dish over from scratch. I respect this game for it's unique gameplay, and I understand the quirks in gameplay are part of the indie charm while definitely helping give it that "Getting Over It" energy, but it simply wasn't satisfying to me.

World:

The world is pretty linear, allowing for minor exploration in whichever area/level you're currently in, but the overall design and vibe presented is beautifully eerie, surreal, and uncanny. Some of the NPC's you talk to will give you mysterious tidbits about the overarching lore/story within the in-game universe, but in regards to the physical world being rather straight forward, I think each level's size feels appropriate and serves its purpose well for what it is.

Visuals:

It may be nostalgia, but I personally think the visuals/graphics are the best part about this game. the vibe of the whole game is so perfectly complemented by the intriguing and sometimes unnatural graphics of the PSX era/style. This is further emphasized with the variety of color in Arctic Eggs. What at first appears to be a cold, almost greyscale atmosphere, actually goes on to have a beautiful contrast of colors and purposeful lighting, which cemented my personal intrigue very early.

Music/Sound Design:

The music and sound design is also amazing in this game, and is the perfect example of complementing the gameplay without being overwhelming or overstaying its welcome. Every sound and song feels natural and immersive, with the chill vibe of the music actually consistently serving as an interesting contrast to the sometimes (often times) intense gameplay.

TL;DR:

I feel very mixed about this game. This is a very unique experience that is probably not like anything else most people have ever played, but that's truly for better or for worse. It's very intriguing, the music is great and very immersive, and the graphics are awesome, but the gameplay just really isn't for everyone. You can go in with a completely open mind and no expectations and honestly just not enjoy the gameplay, and that's unfortunately what happened to me. Despite everything I like and find interesting about Arctic Eggs, I cannot recommend it because the gameplay is the real focus here, and it simply didn't resonate with me.

I adored this game. The setting was positively depressing as were the citizens of the arctic outpost although the citizens tended to be hilarious as they griped/discussed their current situations. I was thinking that this would be a quick game that didn't really do anything special, but I was hooked. The gameplay is misleadingly simple without ever being frustrating and that "ah-ha" moment when you finally flipped 4 shot glasses over 4 cockroaches while you cook an egg to a perfect overeasy

Can you fry an egg on top of Mt Everest? The world may never know.

hell yeah

the vibes are eggscelent

i dont like eggs, but i like this game

I wonder if I could cook an egg on top of Mount Everest.

Sludge Life-like. Call that a sludge-like.

Whoever let his person cook... Thank you. I will never forget this.

this game changed me forward